Belfast City Council has appointed Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA) to develop interpretive masterplan and concept design for the Belfast Stories visitor experience

RAA will deliver the Interpretive Masterplan and Concept Design for the visitor attraction aspect of this planned city centre destination, with support from Barker Langham in the role of Curator and Interpretation Planner.

The appointment aligns with the project advancing to RIBA Stage 2, commonly referred to as the 'Concept Design' phase. This marks a key step in the comprehensive eight-stage 'Plan of Work' model established by the Royal Institute of British Architects, widely recognized as the industry standard for briefing, designing, constructing and operating large-scale building projects.

Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Andrew McCormick, said: "Belfast Stories is making significant progress and RAA’s appointment is another fantastic step towards unlocking almost 100 years of heritage at the 5,000 square metre Art Deco Bank of Ireland site. It is wonderful that the ambition we have for Belfast Stories is matched by the teams appointed to transform this much-loved heritage site into a dynamic public space, visitor experience and creative hub that holds the potential to transform our city centre. Belfast Stories is a flagship project for the city and very much embodies our ambitions for Belfast to become a more inclusive, compassionate, vibrant, and visited city."

RAA will collaborate with the Integrated Design Team, appointed in November 2023. Leading the architectural and structural design are Oslo-based Snøhetta, known for their work on the Oslo Opera House and the 9/11 Memorial Pavilion in New York, alongside Belfast-based TODD Architects. Project management is being overseen by Gleeds, a property and construction consultancy.

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The visitor attraction will be central to the success of Belfast Stories. RAA was selected based on its outstanding international experience designing museum and narrative environments including the Obama Presidential Centre, Chicago, the International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum, Liverpool, and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC. The company has also supported The Braid Arts Centre in Ballymena and the Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI) in Dublin.

John Blanchard, Director at Ralph Appelbaum Associates, said: "We are delighted to be part of the team that will help bring this unique project to life. We are already immersing ourselves in the city of Belfast and look forward to working closely with the Project Management Office and our partners to design this ground-breaking visitor experience. At its heart, this project is about capturing, collecting, telling and sharing Belfast’s stories to empower both residents and visitors to further explore and understand the city’s past, present and hopes for the future. Our role is to provide the vehicle to allow these stories to be shared collectively for the very first time. It’s an incredible project."

RAA's full team includes Michael Grubb Studios as Lighting Designer, Sysco for AV Hardware and Film Auditoria and Fraser Randall as Specialist Cost Consultant.

Belfast Stories hosted a forum event on 2 July, featuring the experience design team. Attendees learned about the team's emerging ideas, gained insights into the project's scale and ambition and shared their own views.

Belfast Stories holds the potential to transform the city centre and contribute to the city's ongoing regeneration, according to Tourism NI’s Chief Executive Officer, John McGrillen. He said: "Belfast is the gateway to the region - attracting people to this authentic and vibrant city is essential to the growth of our tourism industry right across Northern Ireland. We are a nation of storytellers and storytelling is at the core of our experience brand, allowing us to share our Giant Spirit with the many visitors who come here. Belfast Stories has the potential to become the home of the city’s fascinating, complex and diverse narrative and the natural orientation point for tourists when they visit Belfast and Northern Ireland."

Belfast Stories will serve as a hub for the region’s growing creative industries and a base for film-related organisations, while also housing Northern Ireland Screen’s digital film archive.

Richard Williams, Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Screen, believes screen is at the core of what Belfast Stories can offer. He said: "Belfast Stories will prioritise the power of screen. By creating a dedicated, dynamic space to explore authentic local stories, and developing the industry’s skills at the same time, we are putting infrastructure in place that offers the region a really exciting opportunity to continue to build its screen legacy."